While some Afro-Creole musicians from Louisiana and Texas are adding hip-hop beats and autotuned R&B vocals to their accordion-propelled zydeco sound, twenty-somethings Cedric Watson et Bijou Creole, who are appearing at the Kennedy Center Millenium Stage tonight, are going in a different direction. Watson, once a member of the Pine Leaf Boys, was first known for reviving the old-school fiddle-led bayou sound known as “La-La,” which mixed blues and French Creole waltzes. On the recent album L’Esprit Creole, the group instead mostly offers upbeat, joyous zydeco—with some extra African- and Caribbean-derived percussion,  plus some ’70s R&B influences, thrown in.  “Zydeco Paradise” features a funky horn section, while the melancholy “C’est La Vie” adds a slight reggae tinge to its otherwise stately triangle- and accordion-guided feel.  Multi-instrumentalist Chris Stafford enhances the fullness of the group’s sound with tastefully effective Rhodes piano and steel guitar on a number of tracks, and Watson’s charismatic personality shines throughout via his playing and French vocals.

Cedric Watson et Bijou Creole perform tonight from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. Free. (202) 467-4600.